Erica Padilla-Chavez, CEO-Pajaro Valley Prevention & Student Assistance

Erica Padilla-Chavez was born in Watsonville, CA and graduated from Watsonville High School. She attended the University of California, Berkeley where she received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology and Master of Public Administration from Golden Gate University in San Francisco. She is an alum of USC’s Behavioral Health Solutions Leadership Institute.Erica’s career has embodied a commitment to advancement of opportunities for all people, particularly the disenfranchised. Erica has a history of facilitating collaborations that can impact positive changes in communities to advance wellness. She has served as a behavioral health and population health manager in county systems and is now proudly the CEO of Pajaro Valley Prevention &  Student Assistance, Inc., an organization that provides behavioral health and youth prevention services to over 7,000 youth and their families in. Erica is an advocate for addressing equity in access and delivery of behavioral health services and believes that all sectors play a role in ensuring that all children and families thrive.